Mobile apps

StartPage Search for iOS and Android is here!

The StartPage Search app for iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, and all Android devices gives you all the privacy you expect from StartPage—and some added special features to protect your mobile browsing.

StartPage Search's integrated browser rejects all tracking cookies, keeps the websites you visit from seeing your search terms, and even fakes your user agent so websites can't use it to identify you.

Furthermore, StartPage Search erases your searches and Web pages after a time limit... or at the tap of your Home button. You'll be protected against third parties physically taking your device and reviewing your search history.

Android users may also download the StartPage Private Search app directly from us without using the Google Play store.

Install directly from an Android device:

1. Enable your device to permit installation of applications from outside the Google Play store. In stock Android version 4.3, this option is located in Settings -> Security, and 'Unknown Sources' must be checked. The specific steps may vary from device to device, so please consult the manufacturer's documentation or support site for your specific Android device to perform this step if needed.

2. Download and install the StartPage Private Search application by downloading the following Android Application Package (.apk) File. Please refer to the documentation for your mobile device for specific instructions on downloading software, but tapping on the StartPage file in your Downloads should begin the process.

Q: What makes StartPage's mobile app so private?

The StartPage Search app includes the same privacy features that make StartPage the world's most private search engine.

All searches are encrypted

We don't record your visit or your searches

We never tell websites what you searched for

The StartPage Proxy makes you invisible to the Web sites you visit

On top of these, we've added features that protect your privacy as you search and browse on your mobile device:

All tracking cookies are rejected

We provide Web sites with a fake "user agent" to stop them from profiling your mobile device

We remove searches and Web pages after time passes or you suspend the app, so that nobody else can see them

Q: I back-arrowed to results or Web pages that I had been looking at, and now they're gone. Why?

The StartPage Search app is designed to protect your privacy against unwanted physical examination of your mobile device by third parties.Your results and Web pages remain visible for a period of time to make browsing easier, but then they vanish so that nobody else can see them. When this happens, you will see a message informing you that the page has been removed.You can set the period of time to 5, 15, or 30 minutes, or turn this feature off in Settings (the gear in the lower right).

Q: I just suspended the app and came back in. Why are my results and webpages gone?

When you switch away from the StartPage Search app, your results and Web pages vanish so that nobody else can see them — just as they do after a time delay. With StartPage, simply pressing the Home button protects your privacy against physical intruders.As with the time delay, you will see a message informing you that the page you were viewing has been removed. Also as with the time delay, you can turn this feature off in Settings (the gear in the lower right).

Q: Why does the app run more slowly when I use the Proxy?

Just like startpage.com's Proxy, the StartPage Search app's Proxy copies each Web page you visit onto our own privacy-protected servers, so you see it through us, not them. This provides you with the ultimate in privacy, because you never make direct contact with the Web page.Because copying each page onto our server and then showing it to you takes extra time, the Proxy browses the Web more slowly.

Q: Why do some Web sites look different through the Proxy?

Some Web sites include mobile versions that are optimized for small screens. But when you use the Proxy's privacy protection, these Web sites can't even tell that you are using a mobile device! Thus you will see the normal desktop version through the Proxy.The Proxy also blocks Javascript, an element of some Web pages that can transmit personal information. Blocking Javascript can make some Web sites look different.

Q: Can I change how the results look?

On the Settings page (tap on the gear on the right side of the green footer bar), you can make the text of the results larger or smaller, and you can display 10, 20 or 50 results per page.

Q: Can I filter results by date?

You can limit Web results to the past 24 hours, week, month or year by using the dropdown that appears in the upper right corner of the results page.

Q: When I'm browsing the Web using StartPage, how do I perform a new search?

Just tap on the search bar at the top of your screen and enter your new search. You can use the grey "x" in a circle to remove the text of your previous search.

Q: I'm having a problem with the app. How can I contact you for help?

Drop us an email at app@startpage.com with a description of the problem, along with what you were doing when it happened. Of course you don't need to tell us the content of your private searches!